Garbage dumped, what would you do?

[whoaru99]

This morning I go out to the boat to run the bilge pump since we had some rain last night. In my boat I'm surprised by the sight of a plastic trash bag plump full of mainly empty soda cans and water bottles. This is not my garbage.

Since today also happens to be garbage day and the truck comes along soon, I really had no choice but to get rid of it. In the process of emptying the bottles and cans into our recyclable bin, out come two pill bottles on which someone tried to black out the name. That didn't work too well as I can still read the name (same on both pill bottles). The address is not quite two blocks away.

What would you do?

• Just let it go...
• Give this person a call, and ask if they might have any knowledge on how this stuff got into my boat?

 

[John James]

I would certainly call, if only to let them know that someone is on to their game.

 

[sKiZo]

Dump my garbage on top of it ... <G>

Seriously though - I'd be in their face with a hearty WTF ...

 

[motorstereo]

Is there a compelling reason why you shouldn't pay this person a visit?

 

[whoaru99]

Yeah, that was my first reaction but in reflection there may be more to the story.

The storm last night was pretty strong with rain, light hail, and high winds. So, now I'm thinking it is at least not beyond the realm of possibility the wind blew it from their place up the road and someone else just grabbed it out of the street and tossed it in there. Given that it was stuff full of mainly empty pop cans and water bottles, it was light weight and the shape was conductive to rolling.

 

[mfrench]

I'm not a smoker, but, I get to clean up dozens of cigarette butts every week, due to people just throwing them out the window as they drive by.
But what makes this ridiculous is the fact that we live in a very rural area, with some distance between houses (a small lot around here is an acre, and goes up sharply from there), and lots of tinder dry wildfire fuel. Seriously, burned out cigarette butts mixed with dry grasses, and whatever other dry fuel items that the wind accumulates into the same wind pockets as the butts.
And then there is the guy that throws the generic "Vodka" mini bottles out the window just before he hits the main road; weekly cleaning up of his trash.
Do you remember the generic Beer label? This one is Vodka.

/rant

 

[electronjohn]

I'm betting wind, since the storm was pretty strong here about 30 mi N of you. But...a phone call or visit may be in order.

 

[mkane]

I need to stay away from this thread. Being an avid cyclist I see all the shit peeps throw out on the side of the roads. Disgusting and makes me sick.

 

[BigElCat]

I'd let it slide.

The odds are, they wouldn't know what your talking about.

They'd start to think you have an issue with them for no reason.

 

[SuperjazzyJa]

Dump my garbage on top of it ... <G>

Seriously though - I'd be in their face with a hearty WTF ...

"I can not tell a lie officer Obie. I put that envolpe under that garbage."

To the OP, I must ask, is it possible to get cameras installed so that whatever happens is caught on video?

 

[El Pee]

I tend to be a 'live and let live' type most of the time... If it really is plausible that the wind brought the trash to your boat AND you have no reason to expect that these people are up to no good AND there is no evidence of other shenanigans, AND you have had no prior history of conflict with these folks... I'd let it go. Chalk it up to "Sh!t happens."

If it happens a second time I'd pay them a visit.

I've picked up my neighbor's trash from my yard, and I'm sure they've collected mine from theirs... just one of the many "perks" of living in a community.

 

[usedto]

Soda cans and water bottles? Maybe someone was collecting them for recycling and forgot them/got chased off, etc.

 

[Mitkraft]

Nearly 20 years ago I used to live in an apartment complex that had spots for people to put their garbage bags for pickup on certain days. Some jerks would put their bags wherever they felt like it and on non-trash days. One of the locations people would leave their trash happened to be near my apartment. Fed up by this once I opened up an offending bag to see if there was any identifying info in there. I found mail with the apartment number as well as a credit card receipt with the card number printed on it. I highlighted the number and wrote a note on the receipt saying that if they put their garbage in the right place they might not have to worry about people stealing their information. I then taped the receipt to their door and left the garbage bag on their mat.

 

[whoaru99]

I tend to be a 'live and let live' type most of the time... If it really is plausible that the wind brought the trash to your boat AND you have no reason to expect that these people are up to no good AND there is no evidence of other shenanigans, AND you have had no prior history of conflict with these folks... I'd let it go. Chalk it up to "Sh!t happens."

If it happens a second time I'd pay them a visit.

I've picked up my neighbor's trash from my yard, and I'm sure they've collected mine from theirs... just one of the many "perks" of living in a community.

Yeah, I think it is plausible the wind could have blown that bag from up the road to the vicinity of our place. Quite a few people put their trash out at night for the morning collection and the storm was late.

The wind depositing the intact bag of trash into the boat is less plausible, IMO. It's about 4.5 ft from the street to the gunwale at it sits on the trailer. I think someone put it in the boat, but that someone isn't necessarily the person who's name I found.

There is no history of trash shenanigans as in bags of trash left where they shouldn't be...at least not in/on our yard. I haven't seen it at the neighbors either. Sure, we end up with an errant can or paper or whatever now and then but that happens.

At present think I'm inclined to let it go this time around considering the possibilities raised by the storm.

 

[whoaru99]

Soda cans and water bottles? Maybe someone was collecting them for recycling and forgot them/got chased off, etc.

Yeah, far as the cans and bottles they were pretty much exclusively one type of water bottle and diet Mt. Dew cans. And, considering they were in a typical kitchen-type plastic garbage bag, tied, I think it was someones packaged trash.

But, as previously posted, I think I'll just write this off for now. If it happens again then it's another matter.

 

[Eric n Kc]

Hey
I'm afraid I'd have to take it back to them. Politely return it as I would a lost dog or wallet. So it doesn't happen again, accident or not.
Again politely. Smile on my face. People don't know how to handle it when your concerned for them when their trash gets away from them. Or you could just let it go. I'm kind of a dick about things some times and need to be talked down.
I've taken trash back to litter bugs and given it back to them like they accidentally dropped it. Priceless. Eric

 

[Ohighway]

Put the bag on their front porch.

If they dumped it improperly on purpose, they'll get the message.....

If it was an accident, the wind, whatever...... then they merely have to dispose of their own trash.

 

[toxcrusadr]

Second the 'smile on your face' approach. I'd be laughing it off like "Hey wow can you believe that storm last night? I found this all the way over in my boat!"

Edit: The reason being that I don't know them and have no idea whether this was intentional or not. For me this eliminates dumping it on their porch with a 'hey! you fargin' bastage!' love note.

 

[Omegaman]

Well my perfect scenario involves the final part where I salt their lands

 

[whoaru99]

Put the bag on their front porch.

The trash and the bag are gone. The garbage truck was due along any time (relative to 8am) and they're usually not far off the pattern.